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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29938845">Vive Memor Leti</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fantasy, Gen, Haphazard Worldbuilding, Magic, Reincarnation, Self-Indulgent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:15:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>937</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29938845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What is it that we all pursue? What is it that our hearts desire?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Vive Memor Leti</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Writing by the seat of my pants. Don't expect a grand overarching plot.</p><p>...But one might or might not show up.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Let's skip the beginning. Being a baby is no fun, being a toddler is hardly any better, and my memories are fuzzy and scattered besides.</p><p>So, an introduction.</p><p>My name is Cies Amaras. I have two older brothers and one younger sister. Recently, if my grasp of time has not failed me once more, I turned six years old. Mama and Papa have been conspiring because of it, something that involves me. For my part, I hope it doesn't turn out to be what I expect. But more on that later.</p><p>In the meantime, here's a rundown of what I usually do: sleep, eat, study, avoid my minder, and play with magic.</p><p>Yes, magic. In the Before and the Between, I'd never encountered anything like it. A feeling of endless potential, a formless energy that permeates everything. The air I breathe, the food I eat, the bodies of the people I meet - everything is soaked in magic. Or mana, I suppose, to use the proper term. Mana, the latent power within and without, the lifeblood that mages draw on to perform the art of magic.</p><p>Some people are more sensitive to it than others, a condition that manifests in different ways. For some, it shows itself in their ease with flow-control, a crucial cornerstone of spellcasting. For others, it might be an affinity for an element or particular form of manipulation - the Levias, for example, have a reputation for deconstruction. The Amaras tend to gravitate towards reconstruction, which makes the strength of the alliance between our houses somewhat ironic. You'd think that we'd be rivals of some sort, right? Or perhaps it's simply practical to make friends with someone who has a knack for a branch of magic opposed to yours.</p><p>...One of the books I found (and tasted (and maybe sneezed on)) while exploring papa's study seemed to imply that we were once at odds. Something must have changed since then, though I don't know what or when. It was a boring book and there were much more interesting things to be doing, like playing hide-and-seek.</p><p>Speaking of which, I'm very good at that game. There's hardly a day that goes by without my name echoing through the many hallways of the mansion. (Sorry, Aza. I've got a lot of energy to burn and playing tag with you is just no fun.)</p><p>But back to the subject of conspiracy: I suspect it might have something to do with playdates, which means...socialization.</p><p>You see, the truth is, while I know I have older brothers, I don't quite, uh, know them. It's more like having the knowledge that they exist and are in <em>theory</em> related to me without really making the connection and recognizing them as such. If you understand? The point is, they aren't around much, and my younger sister is still a squalling baby. So I'm quite alone, save for the servants and my tutors and dear Aza, none of whom are in my age range.</p><p>It's not as lonely as I make it sound. I was once an only child, after all, and I think I grew up just fine. Plus, this way, I get more or less everything to myself. No need to share my things! Hurrah for that. Though, that is likely only partially the cause of all that parental concern.</p><p>Another reason, well. There was an...incident. How do I put this? Not long ago, there was a great commotion about a certain someone's visit. I didn't pay it much attention, because if I paid attention to every last commotion in the household, I'd never have time for myself. A stranger was visiting, mama and papa were excited, blah blah, I was dressed to the nines for the meeting to serve as display piece. There was a vigorous exchange of physical greetings, which I tuned out in favor of playing with that fascinating thing I didn't quite yet know was mana. Then the stranger tried to pick me up. I didn't appreciate that.</p><p>In my defense, he looked nothing like his framed pictures.</p><p>But, er, yes. Big brother got a mana-coated fist to the nose, as I threw a perfectly-rational-at-the-time fit about being picked up by a stranger with no warning. That was probably what sealed my fate and doomed me to interacting with a bunch of real children.</p><p>And so here I am, dressed up in my best finery, out of the mansion for the first time in my life, blinking spots out of my eyes from the teleportation, and still slightly drowsy from my unwilling early-morning wake-up.</p><p>Ready to meet a new face.</p><p>Yay.</p><hr/><p>New face acquired, logging in facial databanks: Orange hair, short and wavy. Similarly colored eyes, brightly shining with morning cheer.</p><p>Name: Kasia Levias, aged five, precocious.</p><p>As it turns out, mama and papa decided to take things one step further than expected.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Ci-es A-ma-ras!" she sounds out in a deliberate manner. "Let's get along!"</p><p>Still somewhat in shock, I murmur something vaguely similar in sentiment in return, with about a quarter of the enthusiasm. She appears undeterred by my lackluster response.</p><p>"I'll show you all the cool places!" she says, with a beaming smile.</p><p>Mama gives me a push, and I reluctantly take a step forward. Kasia does me the favor of claiming my hand for her own and dragging me along as she runs out of the room, excitedly babbling about something.</p><p>Wait, is this really okay? You're my fiancée now, you know? Shouldn't you have some kind of bigger reaction?</p><p>...Ah, we're kids, after all. There's plenty of time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>what do you <i>mean</i> an arranged marriage isn't part of the isekai fantasy-</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Updates likely erratic.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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